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Fusion drive: Difference between revisions
Given the info in HWF, 343i has been moving away from "DFR" being a universal term for all fusion drives and more like a specific type/model of them (which is for the better, considering it's one of those old Halopedia things)
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(Given the info in HWF, 343i has been moving away from "DFR" being a universal term for all fusion drives and more like a specific type/model of them (which is for the better, considering it's one of those old Halopedia things)) |
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{{Era|UNSC|HCW|Post}} | {{Era|UNSC|HCW|Post}} | ||
[[File:ENGINES.png|thumb|300px|The fusion engines of a {{Class|Paris|heavy frigate}} at various levels of thrust.]] | [[File:ENGINES.png|thumb|300px|The fusion engines of a {{Class|Paris|heavy frigate}} at various levels of thrust.]] | ||
The '''fusion drive''',<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 16''</ref> also known as a '''fusion engine''',<ref name="maw">'''Halo: Combat Evolved''', campaign level ''[[The Maw]]''</ref><ref>'''[[Halo: The Flood]]''', Chapter 1, ''page 33'' (2003 paperback); ''page 36'' (2010 paperback) | The '''fusion drive''',<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 16''</ref> also known as a '''fusion engine''',<ref name="maw">'''Halo: Combat Evolved''', campaign level ''[[The Maw]]''</ref><ref>'''[[Halo: The Flood]]''', Chapter 1, ''page 33'' (2003 paperback); ''page 36'' (2010 paperback)</ref> is a type of spacecraft propulsion system which serves as the primary form of sublight propulsion on most [[human]] spacecraft, whereas the [[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine]] is used for travel at superluminal, or faster-than-light, speeds. The fusion drive system generates both power and direct thrust for the ship.<ref name="hwf">'''Halo: Warfleet''', page 33</ref> | ||
==Description== | ==Description== | ||
[[File:Autumn Arrival.png|thumb|250px|Rear view of {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}}, showing the thrust nozzles of its fusion engines.]] | [[File:Autumn Arrival.png|thumb|250px|Rear view of {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}}, showing the thrust nozzles of its fusion engines.]] | ||
The primary component of a fusion drive is an [[Wikipedia:Inertial electrostatic confinement|inertial electrostatic]] [[fusion reactor]] or a series of such reactors. The [[plasma]] | The primary component of a fusion drive is an [[Wikipedia:Inertial electrostatic confinement|inertial electrostatic]] [[fusion reactor]] or a series of such reactors. The reactors on UNSC warships fuse [[Deuterium]] and [[Helium|Helium-3]] atoms<ref name="hwf"/> to generate a stable and abundant supply of superheated [[plasma]] within a magnetic containment field.<ref name="maw"/> The plasma is channeled into a series of exhaust manifolds, which vector it out of the ship's engine nozzles along with added water or hydrogen reaction mass to provide propulsion for the ship.<ref name="hwf"/> The drive system utilizes inertial-electrostatic containment and higher-order manifolds to mitigate fusion backblast,<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/forums/db05ce78845f4120b062c50816008e5d/topics/reality-of-halo-plasma/401b13b9-f097-45f3-a0a3-227d8f7d130a/posts '''Halo Waypoint:''' ''Reality of Halo: Plasma'']</ref> while magnetic fields and thrust-vectoring plates are used to improve maneuverability.<ref name="hwf"/> | ||
The main components of the fusion drive are typically located in a ship's [[engineering]].<ref name="maw"/> The number of fusion engines varies between ship classes. [[UNSC frigate]]s are typically equipped with two primary reactors<ref>'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[Delta Halo]]'' (''"Both engine cores have spun to zero."'')</ref> and at least another two secondary reactors,<ref name="fs275">'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 275''</ref> while {{Class|Halcyon|light cruiser}}s are powered by an array of three fusion reactors.<ref>[http://halo.xbox.com/Content/assets/en-us/ONI/577839090903298928/DDR-A340024-1115-08-27-52.pdf '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Data Drop 5'']</ref> Larger ships, such as the mobile hospital {{UNSCShip|Hopeful}}, could possess as many as six reactors.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 97''</ref> The number of engine exhausts also varies greatly; ships usually have two or more primary adjacent exhaust nozzles, and a series of smaller, secondary ones. | The main components of the fusion drive are typically located in a ship's [[engineering]].<ref name="maw"/> The number of fusion engines varies between ship classes. [[UNSC frigate]]s are typically equipped with two primary reactors<ref>'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[Delta Halo]]'' (''"Both engine cores have spun to zero."'')</ref> and at least another two secondary reactors,<ref name="fs275">'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 275''</ref> while {{Class|Halcyon|light cruiser}}s are powered by an array of three fusion reactors.<ref>[http://halo.xbox.com/Content/assets/en-us/ONI/577839090903298928/DDR-A340024-1115-08-27-52.pdf '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Data Drop 5'']</ref> Larger ships, such as the mobile hospital {{UNSCShip|Hopeful}}, could possess as many as six reactors.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 97''</ref> The number of engine exhausts also varies greatly; ships usually have two or more primary adjacent exhaust nozzles, and a series of smaller, secondary ones. | ||
Fusion engines are capable of producing remarkable acceleration; using gravity-assist maneuvers to an advantage, human ships—from small [[diplomatic shuttle]]s to ''Halcyon''-class cruisers—are capable of crossing interplanetary distances in less than an hour.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 324-329''</ref><ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 17''</ref> | Fusion engines are capable of producing remarkable acceleration; using gravity-assist maneuvers to an advantage, human ships—from small [[diplomatic shuttle]]s to ''Halcyon''-class cruisers—are capable of crossing interplanetary distances in less than an hour.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 324-329''</ref><ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 17''</ref> | ||
For small-scale maneuvering, human ships utilize smaller chemical rocket thrusters placed around the vessel. Such thrusters expel chemical propellants such as [[triamino hydrazine]].<ref>'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''', ''page 25''</ref> | |||
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===Naoto Technologies: V4/L-DFR=== | ===Naoto Technologies: V4/L-DFR=== | ||
Manufactured by [[Naoto Technologies]],<ref name="evg228">'''[[Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''pages 228-229''</ref> the V4/L-DFR is a deuterium fusion drive equipped on {{Class|Charon|light frigate}}s, such as {{UNSCShip|Forward Unto Dawn}}.<ref name="bulletin101012"/> | Manufactured by [[Naoto Technologies]],<ref name="evg228">'''[[Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''pages 228-229''</ref> the V4/L-DFR is a deuterium fusion drive equipped on {{Class|Charon|light frigate}}s, such as {{UNSCShip|Forward Unto Dawn}}.<ref name="bulletin101012">[http://blogs.halowaypoint.com/Headlines/post/2012/10/10/The-Halo-Bulletin-101012-.aspx '''Waypoint''': ''The Halo Bulletin: 10.10.12'']</ref> | ||
===XR2 Boglin Fields: S81/X-DFR=== | ===XR2 Boglin Fields: S81/X-DFR=== | ||
Manufactured by [[Boglin Fields]],<ref name="evg228"/> the S81/X-DFR is an advanced type of fusion drive serving as the primary sublight engine of the experimental warship {{UNSCShip|Infinity}}.<ref name="bulletin101012"/> Unlike most deuterium fusion drives of human design, the S81/X-DFR is classified as a form of [[repulsor engine]].<ref>'''Halo Mythos''', ''page 132''</ref> Massive in size, this engine module took fifteen years to design, build, and test.<ref>'''[[Halo: Warfleet]]''', ''page 42''</ref> | Manufactured by [[Boglin Fields]],<ref name="evg228"/> the S81/X-DFR is an advanced type of fusion drive serving as the primary sublight engine of the experimental warship {{UNSCShip|Infinity}}.<ref name="bulletin101012"/><ref>[[:File:Infinity fud scale.jpg|UNSC ''Infinity'' schematic]]</ref> Unlike most deuterium fusion drives of human design, the S81/X-DFR is classified as a form of [[repulsor engine]].<ref>'''Halo Mythos''', ''page 132''</ref> Massive in size, this engine module took fifteen years to design, build, and test.<ref>'''[[Halo: Warfleet]]''', ''page 42''</ref> | ||
===Boglin Fields Starfire-IV fusion rockets=== | ===Boglin Fields Starfire-IV fusion rockets=== | ||